


Bad hair day

by trash_writing_from_bored_person



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Asexual Character, Asexuality, Complete, F/M, Gen, done done, idk how tags work, nonbender oc who's still kick-butt, unless y'all want more info abt Emma's adventures ;)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:01:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 13,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24685786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trash_writing_from_bored_person/pseuds/trash_writing_from_bored_person
Summary: In a world when Tenzin and his fam went to the White Lotus fortress to train with Korra, stowaway Emma shows up in Republic City hanging from the side of a Southern Watertribe ship.Her first stop is the probending arena, but no one could’ve guessed that this violent nonbender would end up fighting in the ring with the Fire Ferrets in their waterbender slot.ORMako falls for a girl even more metal than him.
Relationships: Mako / OC
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all!
> 
> Ok so basically I wrote this in one sitting and it’s a MESS but I’m done with it now so I thought I might as well put it somewhere where someone will see it to make it vaguely worth the hours I wasted on it. 
> 
> Leave comments pls if you feel like it! I’d love critiques on my writing // to hear what y’all think of the plot and characters

Emma’s arms ached from hanging off the course rope for hours, and her skin burned from the layers of salt coating it. Another wave splashed her face and she snorted like a goatpig in response, more tired of the stupid ocean than she had ever been.

But finally, she could see Republic city. She was at Republic city. She heard the crew start to yell about docking above her as she bent her legs against the slick wooden hull of the ship. She stared at the boardwalk ahead of her. 10 feet, 7 feet, 5 feet –

She jumped.

As soon as her feet hit solid ground, she was sprinting. The people on the boardwalk stared at her matted hair and sunburned face in shock, but none of them got themselves together in time to stop her. Off the boardwalk, she ran through a marketplace, passing stands with food and clothes and gadgets. One salesperson with dark green hair was yelling at the crowd about free makeovers.

Ducking between people and carts of goods, she slid onto a side street. Emma had memorized a map of Republic City, and knew exactly where she was going. Rounding a corner, she leaped over a group of old people playing a mid-afternoon game of cards. Ignoring their yells, a grin broke out over her face as she burst into an open field and dove forward into –

Fresh water.

Spirits the water in the pond felt amazing. She just floated underwater for a beat, stretched out in the warm murkiness. When she finally had to come up for air she quickly scrubbed her skin and clawed at her hair until the matted chunks started to loosen. Then she rolled out of the pond onto the muddy shoreline. Pausing for a second, she caught her reflection in the rippling water and frowned. Her deep-set blue eyes and the tattered watertribe clothes that clung to her bony frame reminded her way too much of her mother. She sprinted back towards the market, unleashing a storm of curses when she leaped over the aforementioned card game and showered the players with water.

Lia was way too excited about this. The green-haired salesperson had jumped at Emma’s interest in a makeover. Emma soon realized why – the “free” part of the makeovers was based around being a test subject for the blotchy hair dye that unevenly coated Lia’s hair. But Emma was desperate enough to lose the watertribe look that she plopped down in the stylist’s chair before she had finished explaining.

Emma successfully managed to divert all of Lia’s questions about her name, her background, and her weird clothes, and when she looked in the mirror thirty minutes later she grinned. Her thick, waist-length hair alternated between maroon and bright orange splotches. Lia looked at her nervously as Emma examined her hair – the stylist wasn’t blind – but Emma just smirked and asked if she could cut it shorter. Lia’s eyes went wide, but soon enough Emma’s hair was cut as short as a lot of guys’, longer on top and almost nonexistent around her neck and ears.

“Niceeeee,” Emma sighed, leaning back and rubbing her head. It felt so light without the matted hair weighing down her scalp.

Lia was looking a little spaced-out, clearly concerned by Emma’s fashion choices.

“Um … anything else you wanted to do for the makeover miss?”

Emma looked up at her.

“Got any clothes?”

Soon, Emma was walking down the street a changed person. She still got weird looks, but at least it was because her hair was insane and she was wearing some random baggy red clothes – not because she looked like a lost watertribe artifact. Lia hadn’t had any extra shoes, so she had opted to go barefoot over wearing her leather snowboots.

And honestly, she felt the most free she ever had. The knit pants and tshirt flowed around her in a breeze, and the humid air was warm on her face. Her stomach had gone numb from missing a few days’ worth of food, but she wasn’t ready to steal from all the carts around her quite yet. The sun was setting, and a part of her was hoping to grab something at the pro-bending arena.

The cool stones scrapped against the callouses on her hands as she climbed the wall. She was at least seven normal stories up, and her arms and lungs were burning. But Emma was grinning like a madwoman through the exertion, feeling like a true ninja as she swung her legs and arms away from her to grab new hand- and foot-holds.

Soon she had slipped through an open window onto a marble hallway. Seeing no one, she just kept on walking, trying to find a way to the center of the arena where the stands would be. Finally she found an open door, and slipped through.

The sounds of applause and the announcer’s nasal voice washed over her. 

“And the challengers … the Elephant Koi!”

She was transported to all those radio broadcasts she had eagerly listened to back home. She’d never seen earth or firebending before, and rushed forward to reach the railing overlooking the arena.

Just as she started cheering for an Elephant Koi earthbender who had managed to sock their firebending opponent right in the face, she heard a voice behind her.

“YEAH! Hit ‘em right in the –” 

“I don’t know how you got here, but unless you’re a waterbender I’m gonna need you to leave.”


	2. Chapter 2

She looked over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow to find a guy in a pro-bending outfit glaring at her with his arms crossed over his chest. Behind him, another pro-bender with green eyes was staring at her with his mouth open, a red squirrel-thing sitting on his head. 

“Ohhhh …” she said. “This isn’t the normal stands is it?”

The first pro-bender just pointed to the door.

“Wait, wait, hear me out!” Emma said, “What if I’m a waterbender?”

Grumpy Guy narrowed his eyes.

“Prove it.”

Emma sighed.

“Ok ok I’m not a waterbender, but I grew up with a bunch of ‘em!” she said. “Anything you need a waterbender to do, I can get done. And then you can let me watch the match from here, cause I’m way too lazy to find out how to get to the stands.”

He growled.

“Ugh, we need a waterbender to fight in the ring with us which you definitely can’t do. So get out and stop wasting our time!”

“Fine, fine,” Emma said, hands up in defeat. She did not want the cops called on her this early on.

She started to make her way to the door, but then a ref with a bushy white beard and crazy eyes busted in.

“Five minutes!” he yelled. “Are you in or out?”

The two pro-benders looked at each other and she swore that they both looked like they were about to cry.

“We’re out,” Grumpy Guy said, avoiding the ref’s eyes.

The ref huffed and started to close the door, but Emma grabbed it before he could close it.

“Wait, ref! Does a waterbender have to waterbend?” 

The old guy shot her an exasperated look and tugged on the door.

“Like, what if the waterbender had decided she just couldn’t waterbender for moral reasons – could she still participate?”

The old guy still looked annoyed but a bit of relief crossed his face. She guessed it would’ve been a nightmare to get another team to fill in this close to match time.

“The Fire Ferrets are on in three.”

Then he yanked the door out of her hand and slammed it shut. Emma grinned at the two pro-benders and punched the air.

“Somebody get me a uniform!”

Mako groaned and facepalmed. He was really regretting turning those applicants away earlier. Sure they sucked, but at least they could waterbend!

“Welcome to the team!” Red Squirrel Dude said, giving Emma a hearty earthbender handshake as she stepped onto the moving platform.

“Thanks,” she said, smirking as she felt her usual pre-fight confidence kicking in. This moralistic waterbender was about to destroy the competition.

“Just stay out of our way,” Grumpy Guy muttered, looking very unhappy. Emma just snorted in sort-of-assent and pulled her helmet on.

The announcer had just introduced their opponents, some benders in gray uniforms who were already in the ring.

“And their competitors … the Fire Ferrets!” he shouted. The pro-benders started to wave. “The team just managed to find a last-minute waterbender replacement!”

Emma grinned and waved as Grumpy Guy turned away from her. Squirrel Guy grabbed her other arm and held it up, and the crowd went crazy.

How popular are the Fire Ferrets? Emma wondered. She had figured that they were some nobody team because she hadn’t heard of them before, but then again she hadn’t been within a mile of a radio in a couple of months.

The platform jerked as it locked into the ring, and she walked next to the two benders as they approached the other team.

“What’s with the hair?” the opposing waterbender snickered. Emma narrowed her eyes as she sized him up, but didn’t reply. She slipped into a fighting stance as he did the same. But she could see his hesitation as the adrenaline of the fight started to kick in and she went wild-eyed.

The bell rang, and he sent a stream of water right for her face.

She dodged, rolling to the side, but heard two buzzers ring. Without glancing to her right she knew her two teammates had been knocked back.

A blast of fire shot right at her feet and she leaped over it, moving towards the center of the ring. Fire and earth started shooting from her teammates behind her as all three opponents tried to knock her back. Emma jumped up and twisted her body wildly in midair as a chunk of earth grazed her back, fire glanced off her helmet, and water shot by just inches from her stomach. 

“Would you look at that folks! The new waterbender seems to be taking a defensive approach.”

The opposing earthbender sent a volley of rocks at her that she dodged again, leaping into the air and flipping through them. But with two grunts and the sound of a buzzer she realized that both her teammates had been knocked out five seconds in.

Yeah. They were definitely a nobody team.

“And with that folks, the new waterbender is the only thing standing between the Fire Ferrets and total defeat!”

Emma could almost hear Grumpy Dude facepalming.

Emma dodged and weaved through her opponents’ attacks, trying to block out the announcer’s constant commentary.

“Curious, that would’ve been a perfect time for a waterbending block. Is this really a waterbender, folks?”

Sweat started to drip down Emma’s neck. The firebender sent a burst of flame at her feet, and she leapt … only to have him shoot fire where she was about to land. 

With a gasp, Emma’s feet were knocked out from under her and she fell back onto her butt. She heard a buzzer go off as she lost ground.

“Spirits!” she cursed, spinning her feet out from under her and jumping away just before three chunks of earth smashed into the ground where she had fallen.

She looked up to see the waterbender hoisting a giant wall of water from out of the grate below him. She didn’t have time to dodge, but she shot her foot out to hook onto the railing to her left. The water crashed down on her, and she growled as she fought to hold on by her ankle. The bell went off right as a chunk of earth sliced through the water and hit her in the gut, throwing her back onto the edge of the ring. 

“Well look at that folks! The Fire Ferrets make it to Round 2 with almost no bending action! Who is this mysterious ‘waterbender?’”

Emma pushed herself up with a grin, ignoring the pain in her stomach. It looked like being a training dummy for the waterbenders back home was paying off.

By the time the Fire Ferret benders made it back, she had caught her breath and was standing triumphantly at the edge of the ring, basking in the glares of the other team.

“You guys had better take ‘em out this round,” Emma said to the two benders, who were clearly confused that they were still there. “I can’t hit ‘em and I need some revenge you hear me?”

She punched both their shoulders and the benders seemed to snap out of it. 

The Fire Ferrets walked forward and took their fighting stances. The bell rang, and Emma got to dodging. The other team focused all of their attacks on her until they heard a buzzer. The firebender and earthbender looked up to see the waterbender falling off the ring with a couple chunks of earth behind him.

“Yeahhh!” Emma shouted, getting as close to the firebender as she could to try and keep him distracted. “How about THAT!”

He snarled and aimed a messy blow right at her head. She ducked just in time for Grumpy Guy’s blast to knock him off the edge.

Earthbender dude’s eyes widened as he realized he was the only one on his team left. But he didn’t realize soon enough. Two chunks of earth knocked his feet out from under him, and a blast of fire blew him back over the edge.

The bell rang out and the announcer came back on.

“Ladies and gents … the Fire Ferrets win the match!”

“Whoop whoooop!” Emma cheered, before turning around and grabbing her teammates in a hug that definitely made Grumpy Guy uncomfortable. Which, honestly, might’ve been its main purpose.

The crowd’s cheers were deafening as they walked off waving.

“Who is this new teammate? Why won’t he bend? What’s his strategy?”

Emma grinned, both at the announcer’s apparent crisis over her not using bending and at the fact he thought she was a dude.

Squirrel Dude elbowed her.

“You totally don’t look like a dude. He’s crazy.” His eyes were wide and sympathetic, like he was worried she’d take it as an insult.

Emma laughed and punched his shoulder hard enough that he flinched.

“Nah dude I picked the haircut, I can handle the consequences.”

A little part of her was glad. If she was a guy on the airwaves, that made her Republic City presence even farther from her past.

Even after Emma changed back into her baggy clothes, she was sticky with sweat from the match. And, in all honesty, she felt pretty weak. She had run out of food about a day before she hoped on the boat, and it was starting to take its toll.

Grumpy Guy walked up to her just as she was putting her helmet back in its locker.

“Hey … I guess we kind of owe you for fighting with us back there. Um … my names Mako, by the way.”

Emma turned around with a smirk and shook his hand.

“It’s nice to officially meet you Mako.”

“AND I’M BOLIN!” Squirrel Guy yelled from across the room, his squirrel now back on his head. “AND THIS IS PABU!” He pointed to the squirrel.

“NICE TO MEET YOU BOLIN AND PABU!” Emma yelled back with a grin.

“So what’s your name?” Mako bugged her when she didn’t give it.

“Oh me?” Emma said, turning back to face him, “My name’s Lia.”


	3. Chapter 3

Mako hated this whole situation. He could say with confidence that he had never met anyone more weird in his entire life. He glanced across the table to where Lia was scarfing down a pile of spicy chicken without chewing a bite of it, and silently fumed at Bolin for inviting her up to the apartment. Her splotchy red hair had parted down the middle into two frizzy tufts, and matched her sunburned face. 

How did she even get that sunburn?

Not to mention she smelled awful, even from the other side of the table. Like a mix between sweat, mud, fish, and burned hair.

“So … where are you from?” Bolin asked, trying to break the awkward silence that had only been filled by her noisy eating.

Lia held up a finger and chugged her glass of water with three loud gulps.

“EUUUURPP,” she burped.

“Northern Earth Kingdom,” she said, before reaching for more chicken.

“Oh cool,” Bolin said, clearly a bit shaken by the burp, “Our dad moved here from Ba Sing Se.”

Lia nodded.

“Nice,” she said through a mouthful of chicken.

“If you’re from the Earth Kingdom why’d you grow up with waterbenders?” Mako asked. Was she even who she said she was?

“Mmm, Northern Earth Kingdom,” she mumbled back, “Near Northern Water Tribe. Immigration.”

She waved her spice-covered hands through the air to symbolize the sociological phenomenon. That’s another thing that bugged Mako, she ate with her hands.

“Can’t you use a damn chopstick?!” Mako yelled, finally snapping. He threw two into her face but she blocked them with her wrist. 

“Nah I’m good,” she said, setting her plate down. “I should get to bed though. Mind if I sleep on your roof?”

Mako and Bolin just stared at her.

“K cool, thanks!” she said over her shoulder, jumping out the window and presumably not dying.

Mako grunted in frustration as he picked up the dishes and walked over to the sink to wash them.

“Bolin, you had better never invite her to anything again! I don’t want to deal with her anymore.”

Bolin walked over to Mako’s right and started to dry some dishes.

“Spirits I’m hoping she just leaves in the morning,” Mako continued, sighing.

“Hey Mako, we don’t have an actual waterbender lined up yet,” Bolin reminded him, “We might need her in the fight tomorrow.”

Mako groaned.

“Ugh, Bolin believe me I can find someone more qualified than her. And definitely someone who smells better.” Mako wrinkled his nose, and Bolin flinched a bit despite himself at the weird smell that was still floating around the apartment.

The two brothers were silent for a beat as they finished washing the dishes.

“I’m headed to bed,” Mako huffed as he set the last bowl in front of Bolin. Damn, why was everything such a mess.

“’Night bro,” was all Bolin said.

Mako turned off the lights and climbed onto his pallet, eventually hearing Bolin do the same across the room.

Mako woke up at sunrise, silently cursing his firebending for making him get up so early. Not wanting to face a grumpy Bolin, he creeped around the apartment to grab a chunk of bread and his training clothes. He had just opened the door to the stairwell when he heard the window creak open.

Spinning around in a fighting stance, Mako’s eyes landed on Lia. She was standing on the window’s ledge, leaning against the sill and wringing rainwater out her baggy shirt. Mako remembered hearing thunder last night and a part of him prayed that she would at least be kind of clean now. 

Lia’s eyes drifted over to the lump in the corner of the room that was Bolin, then back to Mako. She waved at him and then silently jumped off the ledge, dripping water across the room as she walked through the door he had opened. Mako wrinkled his nose. She smelled … better? … but distinctly like a wet dog with some body odor problems.

He walked into the stairwell after her, closing the door. But after they had descended a few levels he couldn’t keep quiet anymore.

“What are you doing here??” he whisper-yelled.

They happened to stop with her a step above him, so her eyes were a tad above his.

“I wanted to see what a pro-bender does in the morning! And you were so noisy getting up so I took that as an invitation to come on down.”

Mako didn’t speak for a second, confused. He had definitely been quiet.

“Ugh, fine. You can come to the gym.”

“Niceeee, can I spar with you? Haven’t fought any earth or firebenders besides last night.”

Mako’s face stayed stoic, but he was pretty shocked. How the heck could she dodge that well then?

“Fine,” he sighed, turning to walk down the stairs.

Lia bounced after him, happy with the agreement.

When they entered the gym, Emma immediately slipped into a fighting stance. She felt rejuvenated after a night in the warm rain, and she was ready to fight.

“Let’s go, and don’t go easy on me or I’ll break your face,” she called across the room.

He threw a helmet at her.

“First person to lose their helmet loses,” he yelled, putting his on. When he looked up Lia already had her helmet on and was flying at him. He sent a puff of fire at her but she slid under it and leaped over his head, yanking his helmet off and landing behind him.

“I winnnnn!” she said, throwing the helmet back at him. Emma saw Mako’s eyes flash as he caught it and smiled. She wanted to fight someone mad.


	4. Chapter 4

Bolin walked in just as Mako was trying to shoot a burst of fire at Emma with his feet. But she ducked under him and kicked him in the gut, grabbing his helmet as he flew across the room.

“YEAH BABY! Four outta fiveeee!” she yelled, before turning to acknowledge Bolin with a wave.

“He only won one cause I didn’t know firebenders could breathe fire,” she clarified.

Mako pushed himself up off the floor, steam rolling off him in waves. Bolin’s eyes got big when he saw him.

“Um … Lia … Mako is very mad right now,” he said quietly.

“Yeah I saw,” Emma laughed.

Bolin could swear he saw Mako’s eye twitch from across the room.

“I’M GOING TO WORK,” he yelled, storming out of the gym.

Bolin and Emma were silent for a beat, but then she turned to him with a gleam in her eyes.

“Wanna train?”

“I-I’m good,” Bolin stuttered. “Actually, I was just about to go to the park. Me and Pabu are trying to earn some money.”

“Can I come? I love the park,” Emma asked.

“Oh – sure!”

Emma got bored pretty fast. Like, yes, Pabu was very cute, but he clearly only knew one trick. Bolin had explained the huge amount of money that they needed to contribute to the championship pot, and after an hour they had only managed to get two bronze pieces and a silver piece.

She was half-asleep when she heard someone yelling through a megaphone.

“Nonbenders! You are being oppressed by the benders in this society! Join the equalists, and take back the power you rightfully deserve!”

Emma opened her eyes to see a dude standing on a stump across the grassy area in front of them.

“Hey,” she said, poking Bolin in the shoulder and breaking his concentration on Pabu. “You know who that guy is?”

“Oh,” Bolin said, “He’s always out here. No one ever really stops to talk to him.”

“Huh,” Emma replied. “I guess I will then. He looks so serious about whatever he’s saying that I’m kinda curious.”

She pushed herself up before Bolin could say anything and walked across the field. Even a couple feet away, she could see the guy’s eyes light up when he saw her walking towards him.

“Good morning miss, you look like someone who has been truly oppressed by bending society.”

“Uh-huh. Yeah, totally,” Emma replied.

“I am a representative of the Equalists. We believe in a world where nonbenders and benders will finally be equal! Nonbenders have spent too long seen as weak, and blocked from equal opportunities in this society!!”

“So what are you going to do about it?” Emma asked, crossing her arms. The dude’s message honestly resonated with her a bit more than she’d like to admit. Judgmental blue eyes swam in her memory before she pushed them away.

“Well, we are uniting nonbenders under our movement! Together we are stronger. We even have nonbender self-defense workshops, if you would be interested!”

Emma smirked, sure that she wouldn’t learn anything from those.

“I am interested, but I think I might be a bit more … advanced.”

“Oh, well we also have nonbender tournaments,” the man lowered his voice. “They are illegal because of the repressive bender government, but a great inspiration to watch. I could give you the information on them if you would like to spectate.”

Emma’s eyes lit up.

“How about if I want to participate?”

A quick promise to Bolin that she would be back to the arena in time for the match, and Emma was off to the underground fight club. The bouncer let her in when Emma showed her the flyer Megaphone Dude had given her, and she was in the tournament as soon as she did a flip for the equalist organizing the fight schedule.

And she destroyed the competition. She had every competitor pinned to the ground within five seconds. She didn’t even try until she locked eyes on the last competitor.

A dude with dark brown hair pulled back in a traditional bun, his green eyes gleamed with something she had only seen in a few opponents. This guys’ head was in the game.

As soon as the ref yelled to start the match, the guy had launched himself forward. She blocked the shot he took at her head and kicked him in the knee, making his leg buckle. He cried out, but then he hit her right in the eye with his other hand. Yelling in rage, Emma kicked him in the chest and slammed him onto his back. Pinning his arms and legs to the ground, she chided herself for expecting anything more from the guy.

“Yield,” she said smugly, just as his whole body convulsed and he flipped over on top of her.

“No you yield,” he sneered. Emma growled at him and tried to shove him off her, but the guy was heavy. Rage made her vision go red. She muttered something under her breath.

“What was that?” the guy asked smugly, bringing his ear closer to her mouth.

She bit his ear. He loosened his grip, screaming, and she punched him in the gut.

She got back on top of him, pinning him to the floor, his ear still in her mouth.

“Yield er I bit ur ear of,” she threatened, as the audience went wild around them.

“I YIELD! I YIELD!” he screamed.

“And that’s how I won the money,” Emma said, throwing the bag of gold on the apartment table. “That should cover the championship pot right?”

“Dang Lia you crazy,” Bolin said, smiling in a way that looked half-scared half-proud.

“Yeah,” Mako muttered from across the room. “I already sent in the money though.”

Emma and Bolin both turned around, confused.

“What?” Bolin said.

“Huh?” Emma chimed in.

“At the powerplant today, this gorgeous girl ran me over,” Mako gave Emma a look that made it seem like he was trying to rub something in Emma’s face, but she wasn’t catching it. “And now we’re dating and she’s also super rich,” he gave her that look again, “so her dad’s sponsoring us.”

Everyone was quiet for a beat and then Emma chimed back in.

“Cool, so like, I keep my money and I beat up people tonight? Sounds good congrats dude.”

Mako looked off into the distance crossly.

“Well, for now. We’re still looking for another waterbender.”

“Mako!” Bolin yelled. “C’mon, she’s awesome at fighting! What are the chances you’re gonna find a waterbender who isn’t already on another team and is good enough to kick your butt?”

Mako’s eye twitched again.

“I was just off my game this morning!! I don’t need a teammate who can’t bend, and has weird hair, and smells AWFUL –”

“MAKO!” Bolin yelled, but Emma was already laughing.

“Oh. My gosh. Is the main reason you don’t like me cause of how I smell? I can take a shower you know you just gotta ask.”

Mako looked taken aback, his mouth moving a bit but saying nothing.

“Here, here, I’ll go down to the gym and do it now. It has been a couple months.”

At that Bolin went a little pale, looking at the spot on the couch where Emma had just been sitting.

“Although don’t blame me if I lose my competitive edge!” she yelled from the stairwell.

“M … months,” was all Bolin said, a tear sliding down his face as he backed away from his beloved couch, hands in the air. “WHYYYY!”


	5. Chapter 5

When Emma got out of the shower, she was a whole new color. Her olive skin was pinker from all the scrubbing, and her hair had turned from splotchy red to splotchy pink. It was also nice and fluffy and cohesive now, instead of greasy and matted. And, dang, she just felt so at peace. She hadn’t touched hot water in so, so long … 

When she slipped into the prep room about fifteen minutes ahead of go time, Mako and Bolin were already wearing their full gear. And Mako was leaning against a wall real close to the girl that she assumed was his rich girlfriend. Right in front of Emma’s locker.

Deciding to be very composed about the whole thing, Emma just walked right up to them.

“Hey, you must be Mako’s girlfriend!” Mako jumped back like he had been burned, and the girl just blushed and tucked a strand of hair elegantly behind her ear. 

“I’m Asami, and you must be Lia?” she said, extending her hand with a smile.

“Yep! It’s nice to meet you, we really appreciate you supporting the team!”

“Oh it’s nothing! It’s great for my dad’s company, we get to advertise with the best pro-bending team there is,” she said as she shifted over to Mako and rested her hand on his face.

“You got that right!” Emma said cheerfully, stepping forward to open up her locker and feeling very slick as Asami got lost in conversation with Mako again.

By the time she had changed, the two were in full make-out mode, and she and Bolin just took turns pretending to gag and trying to shield Pabu’s innocent eyes.

The final bell rang out, and they all looked up.

“Go time,” Emma growled, jumping up and punching her fists together. This time she had had way more time to look forward to this fight, and she was ready.

This time, they were facing off against the purple Horse Sharks. As the announcer starting listing off statistics about both teams’ seasons, Emma sized up her waterbending opponent. Her feet were firmly set on the ground, and her posture was almost more like her earthbender teammate than a usual waterbender. Emma decided to expect very blunt, forceful attacks. No problem, she had known a couple unusually aggressive waterbenders back at the South Pole. Her sister Murra’s face started to appear over the waterbender’s, her sharp blue eyes glaring into Emma’s own.

Right then, Emma decided to destroy her.

When the bell went off, Emma launched herself forward over the waterbender’s wave of water, and kicked her right in the face. Landing on her hands barely inside of her given territory, she flipped back upright.

“The Fire Ferrets waterbender Lia goes in for an unusual first move folks, making physical contact with her opponent.”

Emma grinned over the guy finally learning her fake name as fake Murra pushed herself up with an angry yell.

And then a chunk of earth hit her right in the face.

Thrown back into the final zone, Emma staggered upright. Stars covered her vision and her right temple felt like it had literally broken, but she pushed through the pain. Seeing a blurry purple firebender aim at her, she rolled to the right in time to avoid the attack.

Looking up she saw that the waterbender had been knocked out, the earthbender was in the final zone just like her, and Mako was battling one-on-one with the firebender. It seemed like everyone had forgotten about her for a second, so she just sat down with her legs stretched out in front of her.

“Folks, Lia appears to be Lia-ning back in the end zone, choosing not to attack, while Mako and Bolin go toe-to-toe with the remaining benders.”

Bolin knocked the earthbender over the ledge.

“Yeah Bolin!” she yelled.

Just then the bell rang and Mako and the firebender stopped fighting.

“The Fire Ferrets take Round 1!”

When they set back up at the starting lines, the one thing Emma was sure about was that this waterbending girl was livid. Her face was bright red, and if she was a firebender there would definitely be steam billowing out of her nostrils. 

The bell rang, and the waterbender sent a hook from Emma’s left. Ducking to avoid it, Emma missed the giant uppercut that slammed straight into her chin, throwing her all the way back out of the ring.

“Ohhhhh, and just like that folks, Lia is Lost!”

Emma belly-flopped into the moat under the ring and almost choked underwater. As soon as she made it back to the surface she started cursing under her breath.

“Frick you Murra. I’m going to destroy you.”

Taking the lift up, she realized just how good the other two benders on her team were.

Mako was doing flips every couple of seconds, fighting off both the firebender and the waterbender. He managed to hit the firebender and send him flying off the edge. A little part of her wondered if smelling bad really had been her only advantage that morning.

“Look at that folks, Mako’s got some Moxie!”

And Bolin was fighting a huge earthbender who was somehow twice his size? Bolin was a big dude so Emma wasn’t sure how that was possible. Bolin redirected the other guy’s rocks like boomerangs and landed two hits, one on the guys face and one in his stomach, sending him back a line. Mako knocked the waterbender back and the brothers moved forward.

“And would you look at that, the Fire Ferrets advance! Will the Horse Sharks be able to make up that ground before time?”

Spoiler alert – they didn’t.

When Emma made it back up onto the ring, Mako called a team huddle.

“Alright here’s the plan,” he said quietly, “Me and Bolin are on offense, and Lia, you’re on defense.”

Emma snorted.

“I can only defend myself.”

Mako looked her straight in the eyes for the first time all day and glared at her.

“Yeah, and you suck at offense too, so just try not to get knocked out this time.”

“Ugh, whatever,” Emma said, breaking the huddle and walking up to the waterbender. They both glared daggers at each other, and it took all the self restraint Emma had to decide to avoid punching her this round. Hopefully if she distracted her enough the waterbender would get knocked out anyway.

The bell rang, and Emma started dodging. As she slipped through every attack the waterbender threw at her, she had to admit she loved how enraged the chick got. The waterbender leveled so many giant waves at her that pretty soon the floor was soaked. That ended up messing up all the earth- and firebenders, who all ended up sliding back into the last zone. Emma and fake-Murra stayed toe-to-toe in the first zone though, dodging and bending constantly.

Then the buzzer rang, and Emma looked up to see who won.

“And we have a tie, folks! The ref will flip the coin to see which team chooses the element for the tie breaker.”

The ref flipped the coin very seriously, and then his hand shot into the air with the red side up. 

“The Fire Ferrets win the coin toss!”

Emma grinned manically at waterbender girl and ran back to her teammates, punching her fist into her palm.

“You guys, I’ve got this. Let’s do water I will kick. Her. Butt.”

“No.” Mako said, arms crossed. “Do I need to remind you that you’re the only one of us who’s been knocked out this round?”

“But I just killed defense on the last round like you told me to! C’mon – Bolin, don’t you think I’d destroy her?”

Bolin winced.

“Lia, I’m gonna have to go with Mako on this one.”

“Ughhhh, FINE!” Emma groaned, crossing her arms. “Can’t a girl just smash someone’s face in without bending every once in a while? Is that too much to ask?”

Mako ignored her and stepped forward.

“We choose fire.”

“And the Fire Ferrets choose firebending!” the announcer chimed back in. “Mako will face off against Lee in the tie breaker!”

The center circle raised up over her head as she glared at the Horse Sharks waterbender. Emma cracked her knuckles.

“Especially when her face is that stupid.”

Fire hissed above her, and then there was a groan as someone was thrown out of the ring.

“And Mako blasts Lee out of the ring for an easy win! The Fire Ferrets take the match!”

Mako jumped down off of the ring before it finished lowering and sent Emma a smug look. She just scoffed and started walking towards the moving platform that would take them back to the room.


	6. Chapter 6

When they got back, Asami leaped into Mako’s arms before he had even stepped all the way off of the platform.

“You were amazing!” she cried, going right in for a kiss.

Emma went straight to her locker and started changing in record time.

Just as she was about to run out the door she heard Bolin yell from behind her.

“Hey Lia, where are you going?” He was in the middle of pulling on his normal pants over his undershorts, and she saw Mako’s eyes glance up mid-kiss at his words.

“I’m going to punch that stupid waterbender in the face, duh!” she yelled, storming out of the room.

“Wha—wait!” Bolin yelled, tripping over his pants and falling on the floor.

Emma started sprinting, not wanting to miss that chick before she left her locker room. She might not have been Murrra, but she had that same ugly-ass expression, those same entitled, judgy-ass eyes.The halls here were empty because they didn’t lead to public stands, so she was able to run half the circumference of the stadium in what felt like less than a minute. She saw the other teams’ locker room ahead of her – and then the wall of fire appeared in front of her.

“WOAH!” she yelled, falling down on her butt and skidding until she was inches away from the roaring flames. Scooching back, she spun around to see who was bending them.

And saw Mako. His eyes were smoldering and steam was rising off of him again, both of his hands covered in balls of flame.

“What in spirits NAME Mako??” Emma yelled over the sound of the fire, scrambling onto her feet.

“What were you THINKING!” he screamed, the fire behind her and on his hands dying down. “If you attack her outside of a match, we all get disqualified!”

Emma flinched, taken aback.

“What – I didn’t know!”

“And that’s exactly the problem, you DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING!”

Emma growled.

“UGH! Well, if you let me beat her up in the arena, I wouldn’t have wanted to beat her up outside of it!” 

All the fires went out and Mako stood there, scarily silent.

“You’re off the team.” He turned around and walked away.

Emma stared at him as he walked away, fists clenched, panting. Her eyes started to burn but she slammed them shut and dug her fingernails into her palms. She didn’t give a damn about the stupid team.

“Wow, that was really something,” a voice drawled from behind her. Emma turned around and saw the waterbender and the rest of her team standing across the hallway.

“Uh-huh, I bet you were entertained,” was all Emma could manage.

“I heard you’re not on a team anymore Lia,” she said with a smirk, as the whole Horse Sharks team took on a fighting stance.

A twisted grin tore across Emma’s face and she let out a single laugh.

“That’s right.”

When Bolin ran down the hallway looking for her minutes later, all he found was three unconscious benders lying on the floor.

Lia was on her way out, trying to blend into the pro-bending crowd by wearing her oversized tshirt like a hood over her hair. And, honestly, it seemed like it was working pretty well until the chick tapped her on the shoulder.

“Hey, Lia,” she whispered in her ear. “I’m with the Equalists, I want to speak with you.”

Emma sighed. What else did she have to do?

“Alright.”

It was starting to rain, streetlights illuminating puddles as water splattered on the cobblestone.

They found a space under a building’s overhang, and leaned against the wall.

“I understand you are currently out of work,” the chick said under her breath.

Emma raised an eyebrow.

“Well yeah, but how?—” 

“It’s unimportant. The Equalist organization knows much.”

“Okay?”

“You’ve caught our attention today, with your win at the nonbending tournament, but most importantly as the first nonbender to participate in a pro-bending tournament.”

Emma just kept on looking at the chick, waiting for her to say more.

“We have a more elite level of training, beyond our tournaments or our basic self defense classes. Usually members have to train for months, years to get to the level of skill and trust where they can take this course, but we are willing to offer you this opportunity now.”

Emma sighed, thinking about how her winnings from the match were in her former teammates’ apartment and how she would never go up there to get them back.

“Will there be food?”

The lady looked insulted, but she nodded.

“Alright. I’m in.”

She followed the chick down a bunch of dark alleys and into some basement on the west side of town.


	7. Chapter 7

Emma woke up to some lady yelling at her about oatmeal. Her mouth was right next to Emma’s ear, and she could feel spit spraying onto her face.

“WAKE UP MAGGOT, AND EAT YOUR DAMN BREAKFAST!”

“YES MA’AM!” Emma yelled, her words slurred.

She stumbled up out of her cot and onto the cool wooden floor, following the other stragglers as they swayed down the hall to wherever breakfast was.

The oatmeal was pretty old, and had congealed into a block of squishy starch, but that made it easier to eat quickly. While Emma was cutting hers into separate chunks a girl next to her poked her shoulder.

“Hey, you’re new right? You’re the only person I haven’t recognized here in weeks. I’m Su.”

That sure woke Emma up. People were here for weeks? She thought it was some kind of cute punching retreat.

“Em, yeah hey! I’m Lia.”

“Wait you’re new?” a dude called from across the table. “Gurl, look out. First day sucks here.”

A couple other people shot her sympathetic glances over their oatmeal.

“Thanks for the heads up … why does it suck?”

Su tilted her head to the side.

“They totally chi block you. Haven’t you heard?”

“Um, no, what is?—”

“ALL TRAINEES WILL NOW MOVE TO THEIR RESPECTIVE TRAINING ROOMS!” a voice called from across the room.

Everyone stood up and Emma looked at her oatmeal sadly, grabbing what she could in her hand and shoving a couple of last bites in her mouth.

“Whar do I gow?” she asked Su, who laughed at her oatmeal-smeared face.

“Probably with me, since you’re just starting,” she said, tugging on Emma’s arm and leading her down the hallway.

They entered a big room with mats on the floor and about 20 other trainees. Emma realized all of them except for her were in gray uniforms. Su motioned for her to sit on a mat, and she plopped down right as some official-looking instructors entered the room.

“We have a new trainee with us today,” the instructor said, motioning towards Emma. “Would you please step forward.”

Emma, in the middle of wiping oatmeal off her face, awkwardly stood up.

“Sure, ma’am. How can I –”

All three instructors launched forward at her. Reflexively, she punched one in the face and kicked two in the crotch, flipping over a bunch of trainees to lean against the far wall.

“Hey – sorry – am I supposed to fight back? What’s the –”

The instructors got back up, looking angry as hell this time.

“Em …”

“IMMOBILIZE HER!” The original instructor screamed at the trainees. Suddenly 20 people stood up and launched themselves at her.

“WHAT THE HELL!” Emma screamed, trying not to hurt any of her new classmates too bad as she kicked and pushed everyone away from her. Some short guy snuck up behind her and punched her three times in her right arm. She moved to elbow him in the gut, but … she couldn’t move her arm?

“Wha—”

A bunch of people punched what seemed like every inch of her body, and soon she was on the ground, her face stuck to a sweaty mat.

Fear. Spirits Emma hated nothing more than fear, but she felt her heart race with it. She hadn’t lost a fight this bad since she was little and her siblings had frozen her in ice …

Frick this a-holes. Was all Emma thought. Frick them to heckkkkk.

“Lift her up.” An instructor commanded, their voice scarily quiet now.

Hands pulled on her rubbery arms, someone grabbed her head, and soon she was staring right at a very angry lady. Emma tried to glare at her, but even her face had gone limp.

“You’ve just been fully chi-blocked,” the instructor said, her voice measured. “This is what you are here to learn to do. If you attempt to leave the Equalist organization after this point in your training, you will be killed. You now know our secrets, and have been fully inducted into the cause.”

Spirits I just joined a cult. Was all Emma could think as they propped her up in a corner and started to train in front of her.

Emma lost track of time in the cult. There weren’t any radios, and they weren’t allowed to walk outside for any reason. But over time, Emma stopped questioning why they were training in this way. She was intoxicated by the power of it, by the idea that one day she’d be just as powerful as she could have been with bending. 

Su and the other cult members – sorry, “equalists” – were nice. Until training started, that is. Every day the trainees spent hours brutally attacking each other until no one could move, and then lying there trying to break out of the chi block first so that they could scoot around and re-chi block everyone.

Emma was a pretty quick learner, and Su had been very advanced to start off with, and so the instructor called them aside pretty soon after Emma joined to tell them that they would be advancing. Soon, they found themselves in a class of eight, and started learning more advanced chi blocking strategies that would leave someone unconscious … or worse.

When the instructor explained the strategies, Emma hit a solid moral wall. She stood up and said that she didn’t think that the advanced class would work for her. And then another student hit her in the neck from behind and she was out.

Spirits, these people were jerks.

When she came to hazily, Su was standing over her, shaking her.

“Lia, the police are here. C’mon, we need your help to fight back.”

Emma shifted on the floor, confused.

“Oh are we, like … against the police?”

Su’s expression turned from earnest to ticked off.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

Then the windows shattered and the room was filled with bright lights.

“Oh spirits!” Emma yelled, lurching up and trying to stand. Su was already gone, and Emma could blurrily see her trying to fight some firebender by the window.

Some firebender … Mako?

Metal started flying all over the room, wrapping around all the other trainees. Emma was somehow left unnoticed in her corner for a few moments. Which was good, because she was confused.

Su was not doing well in the fight against Mako. He wasn’t letting her get close enough to chi block, and was slowly backing her towards the police line with his firebending. One of the cops shot metal cords out at her and she fell down with a shriek.

Emma had just resolved to stay in her corner and hope no one saw her when Su ruined that plan.

“LIA – HELP!” she screamed across the room.

Mako spun around to face her, and his eyes went from confused to furious in about half a second. Emma wiggled a bit on the ground, trying to stand, but she still couldn’t move her limbs.

“Um … hey?” was all she could manage as he walked towards her.

He lurched forward and grabbed the collar of her uniform, shoving her against the wall. She cringed, knowing the uniform wasn’t exactly doing her any favors with the law right now.

“You sabotaged the match.” He said through clenched teeth. Emma could smell her uniform starting to burn in his hand.

“What match?” she asked, trying to keep her voice as non-irritating and sincere as possible.

Mako’s eyebrows scrunched together in fury, but then he just started to look confused when he didn’t see any sort of understanding in her eyes. He just stepped back and dropped her on the ground, walking away as a cop came to tie her up.


	8. Chapter 8

Ok, so it turned out that the equalists attacked the championship match and almost took away Mako, Bolin, and their new waterbenders’ bending, so Emma got why Mako was a bit pissed off. But she also was a bit pissed off that she was in prison when she had thought she was in a perfectly harmless, recreational, hey-lets-learn-how-to-defend-ourselves cult.

No one questioned her or said anything about a trial – she figured the police probably had their hands full.

Her cell mate was a firebender in prison for murder, but they were actually pretty similar and got along just fine. Emma even convinced her to brand a wolf tattoo on her back with her firebending – it turned out that the murderer had been a tattoo artist before, you know, the murder.

The tattoo hurt like hell, but it looked sick, Emma was sure. And it gave her something to think about besides the governmental conflict going on around her, the many people on both sides of that conflict who probably hated her, and her fear that someone in the police station would find out who she actually was.

And only one of those crises was resolved the day the equalists broke her out of jail.

Ok, her cellmate owed her BIG TIME. The equalists wanted to take away her bending at some rally, but Emma talked them out of it by saying that she had converted to the equalist cause while in the cell, and wanted to be able to fight for them as a bender. 

Emma didn’t know what that would actually mean for the chick, but they sent her off with only two guards and no handcuffs, so she thought she gave her a pretty good start for escaping.

“Eman wants you to be at the rally,” one of the equalists told her. “He thinks that your pro-bending status will inspire the people of the cause.”

“Sure,” Emma said. “Sounds good.”

They bused her over and led her through some hallways to a doorway covered by a curtain. She could hear a man speaking outside of it, and realized with a chill that it must be Eman, the guy they had been taught to worship at the training academy. Suddenly, the room filled with applause.

“That’s your cue,” one of the equalists smirked, shoving her through the curtain.

The light was blinding, and she stumbled a few steps before she started to actually take in her surroundings. Eman was standing right in front of her with his creepy mask, and he reached forward to grab her shoulder and guide her to stand next to him.

“This is Lia, the nonbender pro-bending champion!” he yelled into a microphone, and the room exploded. Emma waved half-heartedly at the audience, uneasy.

“Or at least, she would have been if her so-called teammates – “ his hand shot to his left “had not tried to snuff out her excellence!”

As the applause crescendoed, Emma looked to her left, and her heart dropped.

Mako and Bolin were tied to posts and gagged. Mako glared at her, but Bolin just looked pitiful and scared.

“And today –” Eman yelled, yanking her right hand up into the air, “she will defeat them in their last bending match.”

Emma’s heart stopped. Eman wanted her to knock them out and watch as he took away their bending? How did everyone get to thinking that she was this loyal??

Suddenly, she felt a microphone being pressed into her hand.

“Tell them what you’ve been wanting to say, child.”

Emma’s skin crawled and she longed to punch that a-hole in the face right then. But she knew what she had to do. Her face hardened and she nodded as she took the microphone, turning away from Eman.

“You never believed in me,” she said, staring at the brothers’ eyes as they filled with betrayal. Spirits, the look on Bolin’s face looked like a hurt puppy and it hurt so much. Taking a deep breath, she kept speaking.

“You never believed that I could take on more than one opponent.” Here she paused and frantically moved her eyes towards Eman. “You always told me to focus on one opponent,” again she moved her eyes, “while you took one all the other players!” With that, she motioned at all the guards while pretending she was just motioning at random.

She thought, she hoped, that she started to see some sort of understanding grow in their eyes.

“Well guess what,” she said, turning to face the audience. “I can take them all on!”

At this the audience cheered and the guards started to loosen Bolin and Mako’s bonds. Emma winced as she saw them struggle to stand. It seemed like Republic City was a lot kinder to its prisoners than the equalists.

They both assumed fighting stances in front of her, and she looked them both in the eyes. She nodded, and then flipped backwards over Eman. Just as she heard fire and earth start to fly, she hit him in all the chi points she had practiced, paralyzing his arms and legs and hearing him grunt as he crumpled in surprise.

She jumped over him, grabbing both the brothers’ hands and yanking them through the hallway.

Knocking out the guard in the hallway with a good old-fashioned punch to the head, she yelled, “split up!”

She knew that some soldiers had to still be lurking on the other side, and equalists were more dangerous in numbers than benders were. She ran right and Bolin ran left, but then she heard footsteps behind her and realized that Mako had decided to follow her. Weird.

Then she heard a wall smash behind her and turned around to Eman … floating. A weak-ass-very-embarrassing-scream escaped her lips as she yanked Mako forward and up a flight of stairs. They made it onto the second story hallway.

“Split!” she yelled again, sprinting right as Mako went left.

And then she froze.

A sudden pain took over every inch of her body. It felt like someone was boiling her blood, trying to make her explode.

“Agh!” Emma gasped, as her feet lifted off of the ground and she slowly turned around, her body twitching.

Eman stared at her, the little smile on his white mask freaking her the heck out. She could see Mako twitching on the ground behind him and her heart fell. 

Eman’s hand curled and to her horror she started to float closer to him.

“I—” she struggled to talk as she got even closer, “I chi-blocked you. How—” 

A muffled laugh leaked out of the mask, and suddenly Emma was on the floor in excruciating pain.

“AGH!” she breathed. A horrible pressure started to build in her head, and her vision began to dim.

“Those who defy me,” Eman said, the pain building even further, “do not deserve life.”

“Hu…hurgh,” Emma garbled, past the point of being able to say anything.

And then she heard Eman scream, and she could breathe again.

Gasping, Emma looked up, desperate to be able to see again. Far too slowly, her vision came back, and she could see Mako pushing himself towards her behind Eman’s smoking body.

But then Mako froze, twitching, his eyes wide in fear.

“How … how DARE you.” Eman said, rising from the floor like a possessed rag doll.

“I will END –”

Emma would never be able to un-feel her fist hitting the back of Eman’s neck. The snap, the way he crumpled to the ground, the way that Mako looked at her face, twisted by rage, as he collapsed.

She fell to the floor and they both just sat there, staring at each other over a dead man’s body.


	9. Chapter 9

Emma was lying on her back in the pond, shivering in the warm water.

It was all over, so why did she feel so scared. She hated fear. She killed people who made her feel fear. She killed fear.

She couldn’t shake the feeling of bloodbending, even the feeling of chi blocking that she had subjected herself to for all those weeks. Her body didn’t feel like her own anymore, it felt like a soft puppet that she had never really controlled.

She tried to remind herself that Eman was dead. He was dead, and the equalists had quit the cause after she had dragged his body down to the auditorium and showed them the burn makeup on his face, and gotten his brother Tarrloq to demonstrate bloodbending and explain to all of them how their beloved leader was in fact a bender.

But still, she shivered.

“Lia?” a voice called hesitantly from the shore, “are you ok?”

She closed her eyes and tried to ignore Mako, thinking of the way that seeing Eman bloodbend him had make her scared, the most scared she had been since –

Blood on ice flashed behind her closed eyes and her face almost sank underwater from how much she tensed up.

“I’m coming in.”

Emma flinched and tilted her head to the side. Sure enough, the guy was taking off his shoes and walking in, stepping like the water was literal poison.

When he got in deep, he started to swim over, and rolled onto his back next to her.

“Ok, you had better talk to me, because this water is absolutely disgusting.”

Emma laughed weakly, more to just reply than anything else, but it sounded fake as heck.

There was a long pause, and her expression hardened. Then she finally said something.

“I don’t need you to save me, I’m just moody af and I’ll get over it.”

“Yeah but, like, I’m worried,” Mako said slowly, “Why are you moody?”

Emma sighed.

“Bloodbending is scary, ok? And I hate being scared.”

Mako furrowed his brow and nodded slightly, making the water around their heads ripple.

“I thought it’d be more of a murder-related thing, but fair,”

Emma winced. He had no idea.

Mako cleared his throat.

“Anyway, I came here to remind you that you really need to, like, shower, and get ready for the celebration tonight.”

Emma sighed and rolled over onto her stomach, starting to swim.

“Spirits I don’t want to go,” she muttered.

Mako laughed a bit as he flipped over to follow her.

“I know, but you’re the hero of the day! All the leaders feel obligated to meet you and they’re going to make sure they do so you might as well get it over with.”

A new ball of fear rose inside of Emma, but she told herself that she would be wearing a lot of makeup, that she’s older, that her hair’s weird, that no one would recognize her.

They got to a spot where the water was neck-deep, and started to walk. But then Emma felt Mako’s hand on her arm and turned to see his golden eyes inches from hers.

“I … I was scared too,” he said. “I was scared I might lose you.”

He looked away, blushing a bit, and Emma was very confused.

“You’re weird and you smell like a pond most of the time, but ever since that time we spared …”

Emma was feeling reaaal confused now.

“You are such a master of your own destiny,” he blurted out, “like you say what you mean, you push on people’s buttons, you have a conscious that isn’t based off of anyone else’s.”

He looked back at her.

“And for a while I was worried that your conscious was evil with all the equalist stuff, but now I see that’s it’s not, it’s amazing!”

His face got even more red, and he leaned closer to her face, closing his eyes.

Emma’s eyes went wide, in indignation actually! This guy had spent his life being so cute that he thought a random friend he had talked to in a pond would want to kiss him … while still neck-deep in a pond. She couldn’t find anything in their relationship that signified anything other than “acquaintance” “sorta-friend” or “enemy,” but apparently that was not universal.

But … she thought as his lips got closer. She was kinda curious about this whole thing, and his face wasn’t all that bad-looking. Taking the leap, Emma closed her eyes and tilted her lips forward to meet his.

His lips were warm and relaxed against hers. She felt his hands move up out of the water, weaving their way into the wet hair on either side of her face. She copied him and put one hand in his hair, the other wrapped around his shoulders.

This is kinda cute, she thought. And then he started biting her lip.

Ouchhhh what the heck? She thought. Planning her escape in her head, she put on her best actress face.

She pulled away with a gasp, putting her hands on his chest.

“Asami!”

Mako’s eyes fluttered open and the moment they met hers he blushed.

“We broke up while you were in prison,” he said. “Her dad was supplying the equalists, I thought she knew about it … and I found out she didn’t in the end but I couldn’t stop thinking about you …”

Ewwwww?

He pulled her even closer, wrapping an arm around her waist, and went in for another kiss.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as their lips met, hoping it didn’t feel as mechanical to him as it did to her.

He started biting her lip again, and she felt his hand starting to work its way down from her waist under the water. In a panic, Emma broke away with a moan in the back of her throat … that’s something people do right?

This time, she waited a bit before fluttering her eyes open and saw Mako’s face still inches from hers, his eyes bright and his cheeks flushed.

“We really do have to get ready,” she said, putting on the best girly pout she could mention.

“Yeah … I guess you’re right,” Mako muttered, but his hand didn’t leave her waist.

With a choreographed grin, Emma reached up and kissed the corner of his mouth as she pulled away, and started to walk towards the shore.

She rolled out onto the shore and stood up. When she looked back she had to hide her flinch when she realized Mako had a real bad case of elevator-gaze.

“I gotta go!” she giggled, and then spun around and tried to keep from looking like she was running away. There were butterflies in her stomach, but they sure didn’t feel like sexy butterflies. They felt like lil nun butterflies that were being smashed unceremoniously.


	10. Chapter 10

She actually had maids – very, very exasperated maids. 

Apparently the mayor himself had sent them to the room he had leant her in the council building. The fact that her personal hygiene was a big enough problem for heads of state to get involved was, honestly, a source of pride.

After she showered, she just sat there for two hours as they did her nails, re-died her hair, bandaged cuts she had forgotten about, and packed cateyes, foundation, and lipstick onto her face. One maid tried to brush her teeth for her, and Emma blushed a little bit as she grabbed the brush from her and told her she could do it herself.

After all of that, they left her with a choice of dresses to change into. She skipped right past the blue one to choose between the red one and the black one. Squinting, she chose the red one. It looked like it was a bit looser.

Oh spirits it was not lose.

The fabric was stretchy, and Emma felt like she might as well be naked with how clearly it showed her waist and hips. She called the maids back in just to ask if they had anything else. They didn’t, but one sweet maid found her a bulky gold scarf that she could wear like a poncho while still looking semi-classy.

All the shoes were high-heeled, but she decided she might as well go barefoot – no one would see her feet in the dress anyway.

A few minutes later, she was at the party – late to the party, to be exact. Apparently the makeovers had taken a bit longer than planned. 

Mako managed to find her in record time though, making her jump as he grabbed her waist from behind.

“You look amazing,” he said, beaming at her.

She grinned, trying her best to pretend that she wasn’t nauseous. “You too!”

Emma scanned the room worriedly as Mako started talking about some of the best oer deouvres he had tried. She counted five people in watertribe clothing, and recognized two of them. One was the chief of the Southern Water Tribe, the other the Avatar …

And the Avatar was coming right for them.

Korra beamed and stuck out her hand.

“Hi, I’m Korra, it’s such an honor to meet you Lia.”

Emma forced a smile and shook her hand.

“And it’s an honor to meet you, Avatar Korra!”

“Korra was here while the equalists were in control,” Mako chimed in, “she was actually about to lead an attack right before you defeated Eman.”

Korra laughed awkwardly.

“Yep, but I’m glad you got to him first! It’s a miracle you two were able to take him down!”

Mako beamed and pulled Emma closer, and she looked up at him, trying to match his smile.

“Say, actually, Lia,” Korra said, looking directly at Emma. “I was wondering where you learned to fight. Before the chi blocking and everything, of course!”

“Oh, she’s from the Northern Earth Kingdom!” Mako answered for her.

Frick youuuuuu! Emma screamed internally.

“Oh, really?” the Avatar replied, her eyes getting wide. “Which town?”

She knows! Emma’s senses screamed.

“Oh, you know –” Emma started, but was interrupted by the Mayor hitting his glass with a spoon.

“I would like to make a toast, to Lia and Mako, for their great bravery in taking down Eman,” he said, clearly already a bit drunk.

Emma and Mako both nodded their thanks, and Mako somehow pulled her even closer to him.

“And to the Southern Water Tribe, for organizing this lovely celebration!”

The whole audience began clapping, and her heart dropped as she saw the glint in her former Chief’s eyes, and the way the Avatar’s hands were just slightly tensed, ready to bend.

Keeping with the theme of the day, she stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed Mako as convincingly as she could. As soon as his hands left her sides, she pulled away, and he didn’t realize that his hands weren’t finding her hair until the Avatar sprinted past him yelling.

“STOP, EMMA!”

But Emma was already out of the room, falling from a window towards the roofs below.


	11. Chapter 11

Emma rolled when she hit the wooden roof, getting her footing back just in time to leap to the next one, and the next one. Her golden scarf snagged and ripped away on the tiles of one roof, and she was thankful that she had passed on the shoes as she gripped onto the slippery surface with her toes.

But out of the corners of her vision, she could see people jumping between roofs to her left and right. Some pushed themselves forward with water, others earth. She saw one person literally fly overhead, and land about three roofs away from her.

Emma mentally slapped herself for thinking that a “celebration” with so many powerful benders could ever be a good idea.

She jumped forward one more roof and then stopped, turning around just in time for the Avatar to tackle her.

“Gha!” she gasped as Korra pinned her to the roof. Emma was pretty sure she felt her left wrist snap but she grit her teeth against the pain.

The Avatar’s blue eyes burned.

“How did you think you could ever make this better Emma? No amount of punching bad guys is going to save you. The one thing you deserve—” Korra’s voice wavered and Emma saw tears in her eyes “—is to rot. In prison.”

As Emma stared into the Avatar’s eyes, she didn’t feel any fear. All she felt was anger. Raging, burning, aching anger. With a yell she flipped the Avatar over onto her stomach and chi-blocked both of her arms with her one good hand. Then she flipped backwards into the street below – 

But was caught by a ball of air.

Emma gulped as she was lifted up, having to remind herself that there was no bloodbending in use as she rose. Slowly, she was turned around, as saw an army of angry benders below her. The Avatar was literally breathing fire as her arms hung limp by her sides.

A woman in metal armor shot metal cables at Emma, and she grunted as they tightened around her wrists. The airbender slowly lowered his hands, bringing her to rest on her knees on the roof’s edge. The Avatar took a step forward and kicked her in the face. 

She looked like she was about to kick a lot more, but the airbender pulled her back. Emma looked up slowly, and saw the metalbender step forward.

The metalbender lifted Emma in the air by the cables surrounding her, and she didn’t even struggle.

Then, she heard panting behind her and someone landed on the roof in front of her with a thud.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HER??” Mako screamed, hysterical. His eyes were wild and he lit his hands on fire, standing between Emma and the benders.

“Mako, listen,” Korra said, taking a cautious step forward, but she had to duck when Mako sent a blast of fire right at her face.

Within a second, Mako was encased in ice from the neck down. The Chief had stepped forward, and his hand was on Korra’s shoulder.

He motioned to the metalbender to get going, and Mako screamed, fire streaming out of his mouth.

“LIA!” he shouted, staring right into her eyes.

Emma really couldn’t with him right then, and looked away.


	12. Chapter 12

Mako pressed his hands against his eyes until he saw stars. He was sitting in a holding cell at the police station, heart aching.

He could still feel that last kiss from Lia against his lips, see the way she couldn’t meet his eyes as Chief Beifong dragged her away. He realized now that that kiss had been a goodbye.

And this all had to happen the day they started dating.

Why had they all called her “Emma?” Why did every powerful leader at that party have some kind of personal vendetta against his girl?

All the images of Lia flashing in front of his eyes were interrupted by a knock on his cell bars.

Mako’s head shot up and his dull golden eyes meet Chief Beifong’s hard green ones.

“You’re a good kid Mako,” she said. “We’re going to help you understand what happened.”

“Where is she?!?” Mako yelled, standing up.

Chief Beifong’s eyes softened a bit.

“Mako, she’s safe, she’s in prison in the Southern Water Tribe. No one’s going to hurt her, her sentence was life in prison.”

Mako swayed back into the wall, unsteady on his feet.

“What do you mean, life in prison? What did she ever do besides protect this city?” 

Chief Beifong just stared at him for a second.

“I was going to move you to an interrogation room, but I think it’s better if we just talk here.” She turned to the side and called down the station hallway. “Korra, come on over.”

The Avatar stomped down the hallway to stand next to Beifong.

“Why are we even talking to this guy?” she muttered. “Seems like a lost cause.”

Beifong elbowed her in the shoulder and she jumped back with a grunt.

“Korra, he just needs more information.”

“How about you stop talking about me like I’m not here?”

The two looked up to see the firebender hunched against the wall, steam billowing off of him in waves.

“Right …” Korra said, her eyes widening. “Ok, so Mako, Emma’s not from the Northern Earth Kingdom, she’s from the Southern Water Tribe –”

“Why are you calling her Emma?!?”

Korra paused and then spoke very slowly.

“That is her legal name. When she was arrested as Lia for chi-blocking the police couldn’t find any legal records for her around the world, and it’s because she was lying. There are 36 Lia’s in Republic City, and 184 Lia’s across the whole Earth Kingdom, but her identity doesn’t line up with a single one.”

Mako just huffed out a puff of fire, not knowing what to say.

“Emma,” Korra continued, her eyes starting to flash with anger, “murdered two people from my tribe. One was one of my waterbending classmates, the other was one of my waterbending teachers.”

She took a deep breath, and Mako could feel the air in the room start to stir around him.

“Their names were Somma and Tarq,” the Avatar growled. “And she ran off into the tundra before we finished her trial. The only reason she didn’t have a death sentence waiting for her is because she was under 18 by a few weeks.”

Mako’s eyes dimmed even further, but then he stood up a bit straighter, his eyes wild.

“You’re saying that you think a nonbending minor killed a waterbending master and his student? How weak are Southern waterbenders?”

Korra took an angry step forward but Beifong blocked her with an arm.

“Mako, the crime scene was very clear. You’ll be free to go as soon as your mental state is deemed stable.”

And then they both walked away, Korra shooting a glare over her shoulder.


	13. Chapter 13

~two months later~

Emma grunted as she busted out her hundredth burpee, pausing to shake out her arms and legs. Her panting breath turned to fog in the cold air of her cell, but she was sweating from the exertion of her workout.

She dropped down on the floor to start her second round of burpees when her cell was lit up by a blast of fire from outside. Jumping to her feet in a defensive stance, she saw a guard get smashed into the wall across from her cell with an explosion of fire bending. Her – now chin-length – hair fluttered in the hot wave of air that blew into her cell.

“Mako,” she breathed, as the firebender stepped up to the bars of her cell. She ran up and grabbed his hand through the bars, trying to play the lovestruck victim as well as possible. She was actually planning to break out in a couple months when the heat had died down, but she wasn’t going to pass on the opportunity to get out a bit earlier.

Mako’s face looked surprisingly thin, and there were dark circles under his eyes. She felt bad for the guy – he clearly was freaking out about this whole thing more than he needed to.

“I know what really happened,” he breathed, his other hand reaching up brush against her left cheek. His thumb traced Emma’s cheekbone, and she realized she probably looked a bit rougher than usual herself. “I stole the file, I looked through the evidence … your sister Murra set you up! She’s the murderer, you’re innocent!”

Hmm … well not quite right but at least he got the gist. The memories she had been fighting to push away for months flashed in front of her eyes again.

Fighting Somma, moving to tackle her to the ground and laughing as she threw Emma across the training ground with a wall of snow. Still laughing when the icicle hit Somma in the head.

Blood on ice. Tarq freezing, horror in his eyes. Then running. Emma chasing him. Her feet frozen in place just as she punched him in the nose –

Blood on ice.

Court rooms. Murra claiming she was there when she was just the first person to walk in on Emma franticly trying to free her feet in the middle of the night. The judgmental blue eyes. Running. Running so fast. Into a blizzard.

Cold. Darkness. Hunting. Fighting a wolf in a snow drift. Blood on ice.

Hating the cold, hating the ice. Wanting to escape. Ships, ropes, Republic City –

Mako.

He was staring at her, his eyes hardened. For a second she was worried that something in her expression had made him change his mind, but then he was unlocking her cell and before she could breathe his mouth crashed into hers.

He was so warm. She hadn’t been this close to another person in months, and when he started to bite her lower lip, she didn’t push away. One of his hands buried itself in her hair, the other dug into her lower back. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, wanting to absorb the warmth emanating off of him. 

She forgot about everything for a second, just feeling his warm breath on her cheek and his arms holding her close.

Then he broke away with an almost comical squelch, holding her at an arms distance. Emma opened her eyes in surprise to see his lips swollen, his face flushed down to his collar bone. 

“Let’s get out of here,” he breathed, and then they were running through the ice hallways and breaking out into the tundra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! Wow, you made it to the end of my lil train wreck of a story -- thanks for reading!
> 
> Legit, pls leave comments and lmk what you think. Ya gurl is looking for some feedback ;)


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